The present invention relates to crates and, in particular, it concerns a knock-down crate in which the walls can be stored in a recess in the base, and a corresponding method for transporting produce.
It is known to provide containers of many types for transporting produce, manufactured articles, raw materials etc. from one location to another. Such containers are generally configured to be lifted by a fork-lift vehicle and are stackable. These containers, typically referred to as “bins”, “box-pallets”, “crates” or “totes”, will be referred to generically herein as “crates”.
In many cases, molded polymer containers are chosen for their light weight, robustness and long usable lifetime. To realize the maximum strength of the polymer materials, polymer crates are often molded in a single piece. As a result, however, they occupy the same volume when transported empty on a return journey as when full on an outbound journey. This extremely inefficient use of space is very costly.
Various disassembling or foldable crates have been developed in an attempt to reduce the transport volume requirements when the crates are empty. All such crates which either disassemble (i.e., come apart into separate elements) or fold (i.e., with all elements remaining interconnected) are referred to generically herein as “knock-down crates”. An example of a foldable crate may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,356 to Miller. Examples of crates which disassemble may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,973 to Dewey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,329 to Dotan, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0084274 to Dotan. These publications are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth entirely herein.
While offering more efficient use of volume, knock-down crates generally suffer from a number of disadvantages. Specifically with respect to crates which disassemble into separate elements, the base and the sides once separated are generally much less convenient to handle. Furthermore, the number of individual elements which must be handled is greatly increased, and considerable extra labor may be required for packing individual bases and sides compactly for volume-efficient transportation to the next point of use.
There is therefore a need for a knock-down crate in which the walls can be stored in a recess in the base for compact and convenient handling when unloaded.